Is it automatic that having returning starters makes you better? If they sucked kast year you might now want to bet on them being much better as a unit. And if the transfer you git was so great why did he feel the need to transfer? Same shit this board applies to Newman.
Another flea with no idea how football works.
The offensive line is a UNIT. The more cohesive they are, the better they will be. Which means practicing together and playing games as a unit. We had all of last year for 4 of them, it shouldn't be too hard to get one new guy blended in. You have 1 returning starter. Ok, 1 1/2 if we count Cleveland who started about half a season. That means a lot of guys who have to learn to work together, which is tough enough without losing 6 months of offseason.
This is also the unit where stars matter the least. The stars for linemen are based on potential, but that is a very hit and miss affair because the potential is in trying to estimate how much additional growth is ahead of them, how well they will add muscle in the weight program, etc. So all the crowing about stars means squat. We need to see on field performance. For the line, the proof is in the pudding.
You have the Newman argument exactly wrong. Nobody said he transferred because he sucks. Here are the things that have been said:
1. He played poorly against the quality competition he faced in the ACC. Which wasn't much.
2. The SEC is a major step up in competition, where he only faced one really outstanding defense in the ACC, he will face several in the SEC.
3. He has to learn a brand new offense without Spring ball.
4. He is behind a brand new Oline that has to learn to work together and also has to learn a new offense. When both the QB and Oline are new, it's a problem.
5. He has had no opportunity to work with the receivers to get the timing down.
As for the MSU transfer, I would venture to guess he transferred for the same reason Newman did. Both are grad transfers and are moving to higher profile teams in their last year, certainly to get more attention from NFL scouts. The one difference is Reese transferred to UF because he has experience in the Mullen system AND his brother is on the squad, whereas Newman chose Georgia for no known reason. One theory is that some Georgia boosters got panicky when Fromm left and gave him a nice cash payout to sign. Knowing how you all do business, I deem it likely.